Coupled deformation-seepage analysis of dynamic capacity tests on open-ended piles in saturated sand

Open-ended piles such as tubular piles or I-beams are used as foundations for offshore and nearshore construction. After the pile installation a load test to estimate the bearing capacity of these open-ended piles is necessary. Due to the offshore conditions and the high bearing capacity of the installed piles a static load test is not normally feasible. Therefore, dynamic load tests are carried out where the wave propagation due to an dynamic impact at the pile head is measured. The methods to estimate the bearing capacity from the measured signal of the dynamic tests were derived for solid pile profiles. It is questionable whether these evaluation techniques are applicable for open-ended piles. Hence, the influence of various important system parameters as well as the differences between static and dynamic load tests on open-ended piles is investigated in this paper.